Estate planning at Ameriprise
How to protect 20 Ameriprise accounts — manage beneficiaries online, fund a trust in-branch, and file claims through Ameriprise's Estate Settlements
Client Service Center
Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, 70100 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
Estate Settlements
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., 70010 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
Estate Settlements
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., 70010 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
Ameriprise has 20 investment accounts, each with different rules for what happens when the account holder dies. Of those, 19 can name a trust as beneficiary or be retitled into a trust. The right combination of beneficiary designations and trust ownership can keep the entire portfolio out of probate.
Managing beneficiaries at Ameriprise is straightforward—changes can be made online, in branch, and by mail, typically taking a few minutes online; 5 business days for paper form processing. Trust funding is also available, allowing families to retitle brokerage accounts into a trust.
Ameriprise provides specific procedures for both proactive estate planning and filing claims after a death.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to manage beneficiaries online, fund a trust in-branch, and review 20 account types at Ameriprise.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
Contact Ameriprise's Estate Settlements to file a claim. 9-step process, 11 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →Ameriprise's Estate Settlements can answer questions about beneficiaries, trusts, or death claims at 1-800-862-7919.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Through Ameriprise Bank, FSB, the Personal Trust Services team (https://www.ameriprise.com/products/ameriprise-bank/personal-trust-services) can serve as corporate trustee, co-trustee, custodian, personal representative, or agent to a trustee. They administer revocable, irrevocable, testamentary, charitable, and specialty trusts. A trust account can hold mutual funds, stocks, bonds, and other marketable securities.
No. Ameriprise does not allow beneficiary changes by phone because a beneficiary designation acts as a substitute for a will (https://www.ameriprise.com/customer-service/beneficiary-designation-faqs). Beneficiaries can be updated online through the Ameriprise secure site, in person with a financial advisor, or by completing and mailing the appropriate paper form. The Beneficiary Team can answer questions at 1-800-862-7919 but cannot process changes over the phone. Ameriprise Bank deposit products can only update beneficiaries online via the secure site.
Retitling a brokerage or advisory account into a trust requires the Change of Ownership Form (Form F120), the Trustee Certificate (Form 270209), and an IRS Form W-9 for the trust. The trust document title page and signature page must also be provided, showing the trust name, date, trustee names, and whether trustees act alone or jointly. Form F120 cannot be used for qualified accounts like IRAs (https://www.ameriprise.com/customer-service/account-forms).
Sources
Data sourced from Ameriprise primary sources (21 pages reviewed). How we research.
Client Service Center
Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, 70100 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
Estate Settlements
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., 70010 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
Estate Settlements
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., 70010 Ameriprise Financial Center, Minneapolis, MN 55474
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Ameriprise accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
